Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has the largest representation at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, reflecting its responsibility for the overall management of the Embassy, bilateral relations and the delivery of Australia’s aid program.
DFAT's representation at the Embassy is divided into three main sections: the Political and Economic Section, the Aid (Southeast Asia Regional Hub) Section and the Administration and Consular Section. The Political and Economic Section includes the Embassy\'s Public Affairs activities, about which more information can be found at "Public Diplomacy" . Further information on the Australian Government’s aid activities can be found at ‘Development Cooperation’. Further information about the Embassy\'s Consular activities can be found at "Consular Services" .
The Administration Section provides administrative support to the different agencies represented at the Embassy, not just DFAT, and is responsible for such functions as staff salaries and processing Embassy accounts.
The Aid (Southeast Asia Regional Hub) Section delivers aid to help countries in the East Asian region address the challenges that come from greater connectivity. This includes aid to combat human trafficking and the spread of infectious diseases. The Aid Section also works with key regional partners to support ASEAN’s economic integration process, targeting the investment needs of less developed ASEAN economies.
The Political and Economic Section is responsible for overall bilateral relations with the Government of Thailand, and is the main liaison point with Thailand\'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Officers within the Political and Economic Section deal with a wide range of issues, including
- general bilateral relations between Australia and Thailand
- various trade issues such as
- The "Thailand - Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
- market access concerns
- the ASEAN Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA)
- the Asia Pacific Economic Community (APEC)
- and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) - domestic political and economic developments in Thailand
- Thailand\'s relations with other countries, as well as international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Further information about DFAT can be found at http://www.dfat.gov.au